NSPE's PE Magazine highlights benefits of Garver Launch

Hiring aspiring engineers to internships for on-the-job training that supplements their college coursework has long been a practice at Garver. But in 2016, Garver enhanced its internship program with the creation of Garver Launch, a comprehensive program designed to educate, enlighten, and mold future engineers through real-world experiences.

PE Magazine recently published an article on successful internship programs at A-E firms and highlighted Garver Launch as an example of one that provides results for both the intern and the firm. In its May/June issue, the magazine published by the National Society of Professional Engineers, touched on the creation of the program, how it works, and why it has been successful.

The article quotes Garver Project Engineer Ashley McDonald and Fayetteville Aviation Team Leader Adam White, both of whom are former Garver interns and touted the lessons learned by the real-world curriculum. McDonald and White currently serve as mentors to Garver Launch interns.

“You learn a lot of math and science in school, but you also need to learn good communication skills, the real-life problem-solving skills, and gain experience working with a team,” White said. “Those are things you can’t do the same way in school.”

McDonald said her internship experience motivated her to stay in the engineering field.

“If I hadn’t had this real-world experience, I don’t think I would have stuck with engineering,” she said.